Minty Whitehttp://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite
Just another Microsoft MVPs siteMon, 24 Nov 2014 17:41:08 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1What’s Next with Windows 10?http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2014/11/24/whats-next-with-windows-10/
http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2014/11/24/whats-next-with-windows-10/#commentsMon, 24 Nov 2014 17:41:08 +0000http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2014/11/24/whats-next-with-windows-10/Continue reading What’s Next with Windows 10?→]]>In this guest post, Abby Perkins from Software Providers shares her insight into what’s coming with Windows 10 and how it will function for users of desktops, laptops, and mobile devices.

Microsoft is a large company (the sixth biggest in the world by market cap), and its customer base reflects the company’s size. Unlike Apple’s customers, Microsoft’s tend to display less brand loyalty across products. The product that unifies all of Microsoft is the Windows operating system. Microsoft’s challenge with the upcoming release of Windows 10 is holding its large family of customers together. Here is how the tech giant plans on meeting everyone’s demands.

One operating system for all devices

Windows 10 will be designed to run on all devices. Microsoft believes its operating system is simple enough to run on the most basic smartphone yet sophisticated enough to keep businesses’ most demanding servers running smoothly. It has also designed the newest version of Windows to run on every size screen, from 4 inches to 80 inches.

Mobile device management for all

Many businesses already use mobile device management (MDM) to manage all portable devices used for work. Most MDM systems are specifically designed for mobile, however. There are not many smooth ways to move from a desktop computer or server to a smartphone. Windows 10 will change that—Microsoft is expanding MDM to all windows-based devices, including the immobile ones. Mobile is not just for mobile anymore!

Bring back the start menu

If Windows had a mascot, it would be the start menu. Since Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0, the start menu has been an integral and iconic part of the operating system. It is what Apple’s operating system does not have.

Microsoft will bring the start menu back for larger devices with Windows 10. It did away with the menu in Windows 8, which catered to touch-screen devices. With Windows 10, Microsoft hopes to integrate the modern feel of Windows 8, including its touch-screen sensitivities, with beloved standby features of Windows 7 and prior versions.

In Windows 10, the start menu will be highly customizable, letting users decide how to strike the balance between the modernity of Windows 8 and the tried-and-true features of prior versions. Users will be able to set both the height and width of the menu. The left side will feature a list of applications, as traditional start menus do, and the right side will have app icons like Windows 8 does. Users will be able to select which icons they want to appear and the size of visible icons.

Going back to Windows

With Windows 8, Microsoft abandoned its operating system’s namesake feature: windows. Instead of opening in a window, most apps take up the full screen in Windows 8. Windows 10 will once again feature the tiling windows that can be opened, minimized and closed, at least when it is used on computers. Apps will take up the full screen on tablets, phones and other mobile devices. Devices that can be used as a tablet and laptop will let the user choose whether they want a traditional desktop or an app-based interface.

Zooming In and Out

For the Apple-envious members of the Windows family, Windows 10 will include the same zoom-out feature for selecting open programs that Macs and Chromebooks currently have. Users on touch-screen devices will be able to zoom out and see all open applications; clicking on one will pull it up. You will also be able to switch between multiple workspaces, just like you can on a Macbook, and zoom in by pinching on touch screens.

Keeping Everyone Happy

Will Microsoft be able to keep its entire family of customers happy with Windows 10? Can every device be run on one operating system? Will businesses and Apple-envy consumers both be happy with the features included for them? WIll Microsoft find the right balance between app-based touch screen computing and old-fashioned Windows familiarity?

We will have to wait until Windows 10 is released next year to find out. For now, Microsoft is still working on developing the operating system that will appease everyone in the family.

]]>http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2014/11/24/whats-next-with-windows-10/feed/0How to Remove the Windows August 2014 Update (MS14-045) Causing Blue Screen of Deathhttp://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2014/08/23/how-to-remove-the-windows-august-2014-update-ms14-045-causing-blue-screen-of-death-2/
http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2014/08/23/how-to-remove-the-windows-august-2014-update-ms14-045-causing-blue-screen-of-death-2/#commentsSat, 23 Aug 2014 11:29:54 +0000http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2014/08/23/how-to-remove-the-windows-august-2014-update-ms14-045-causing-blue-screen-of-death-2/Continue reading How to Remove the Windows August 2014 Update (MS14-045) Causing Blue Screen of Death→]]>The August month for Microsoft Windows 8/8.1 users came with a surprise. The updates from the Microsoft arrived on schedule but this time there was an erratic behavior in one of the updates. The update MS14-045 can make using the fonts in Windows 8/8.1 a trying experience. This update may lock the fonts, render them incorrectly or in the worst case scenario throws the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) on your screen. Listening to the outcry of the Windows users, Microsoft has issued a guideline for removing this update from your Windows.

Here is how you can remove this MS014-045 update from your Windows 8/8.1 PC in case you are experience blue screen of death issues:

Since you are having a blue screen of death in Windows, you cannot just remove the MS14-045 update from within Windows. You have to reboot into the safe mode. In order to boot into the safe mode, restart your PC and when you see the log in screen, press the Shift key and click on the Power icon and select Restart. Upon restart, you have to choose the Safe mode from the list of options.

Once inside the safe mode, open a command prompt (Win+X, select “Command Prompt (Admin)”) and give the following command: del %WINDOWS%system32fntcache.dat

Reboot into Windows normally, you will not see any of the font related problems for some time. Open registry editor, and export this key (save it somewhere on your PC): HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionFonts

Go through all the fonts under this key in the registry that have path names like “C:WindowsFontsArial.ttf” and delete them. Similarly, delete all the OTF font references under this key.

Once again, open a command prompt (Win+X, select “Command Prompt (Admin)”) and give the following command: del %WINDOWS%system32fntcache.dat

Open Control Panel -> Programs and Features -> Installed Updates and uninstall the updates that are labeled KB2982791, KB2970228, KB2975719 and KB2975331.

Right-click on the registry file that you saved in step 3 and select Merge.

After a reboot, your PC will have no more blue death of screen problems. Now you can wait for Microsoft to release another update to take care of the situation.

]]>http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2014/08/23/how-to-remove-the-windows-august-2014-update-ms14-045-causing-blue-screen-of-death-2/feed/0How to Remove the Windows August 2014 Update (MS14-045) Causing Blue Screen of Deathhttp://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2014/08/23/how-to-remove-the-windows-august-2014-update-ms14-045-causing-blue-screen-of-death/
http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2014/08/23/how-to-remove-the-windows-august-2014-update-ms14-045-causing-blue-screen-of-death/#commentsSat, 23 Aug 2014 11:29:54 +0000/blogs/mintywhite/archive/2014/08/23/how-to-remove-the-windows-august-2014-update-ms14-045-causing-blue-screen-of-death.aspxContinue reading How to Remove the Windows August 2014 Update (MS14-045) Causing Blue Screen of Death→]]>The August month for Microsoft Windows 8/8.1 users came with a surprise. The updates from the Microsoft arrived on schedule but this time there was an erratic behavior in one of the updates. The update MS14-045 can make using the fonts in Windows 8/8.1 a trying experience. This update may lock the fonts, render them […]

]]>http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2014/08/23/how-to-remove-the-windows-august-2014-update-ms14-045-causing-blue-screen-of-death/feed/0[Several Giveaway Offers] Thus the season to get freebies…http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2013/11/29/several-giveaway-offers-thus-the-season-to-get-freebies/
http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2013/11/29/several-giveaway-offers-thus-the-season-to-get-freebies/#commentsFri, 29 Nov 2013 00:56:01 +0000/blogs/mintywhite/archive/2013/11/29/several-giveaway-offers-thus-the-season-to-get-freebies.aspxContinue reading [Several Giveaway Offers] Thus the season to get freebies…→]]>Every holiday I receive several requests from dedicated software developers to promote their giveaway. And this season is no different. Each time I go through them all and pick the ones I believe you, our loyal follower would love to get. This time around I thought I would collect them all in one place. Read […]

]]>http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2013/11/29/several-giveaway-offers-thus-the-season-to-get-freebies/feed/0Unique Giveaway: Get one of two programs for Free !http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2013/10/30/unique-giveaway-get-one-of-two-programs-for-free/
http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2013/10/30/unique-giveaway-get-one-of-two-programs-for-free/#commentsWed, 30 Oct 2013 01:27:01 +0000/blogs/mintywhite/archive/2013/10/30/unique-giveaway-get-one-of-two-programs-for-free.aspxContinue reading Unique Giveaway: Get one of two programs for Free !→]]>You’ve probably already read about the two great programs we reviewed last week: Apowersoft Video Download Capture and Apowersoft Streaming Audio Recorder. It turns out Apowersoft would like to host a giveaway on our site, and as you know – We LOVE giveaways here at Mintywhite, so we’weren’t exactly hard to ask. Read more after the break […]

]]>http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2013/10/30/unique-giveaway-get-one-of-two-programs-for-free/feed/0Apowersoft Video Download Capturehttp://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2013/10/27/apowersoft-video-download-capture/
http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2013/10/27/apowersoft-video-download-capture/#commentsSun, 27 Oct 2013 00:19:32 +0000/blogs/mintywhite/archive/2013/10/27/apowersoft-video-download-capture.aspxContinue reading Apowersoft Video Download Capture→]]>Windows Guides’ Rating 5 out of 5 Compatible with System PROS: Easy to use. Powerful functionality for downloading most streaming videos. CONS: The limited video edit features could easily be improved to make this a program for all your needs. VERDICT: A great tool for downloading streaming videos off the net. But also a […]

]]>http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2013/10/27/apowersoft-video-download-capture/feed/0Apowersoft Streaming Audio Recorderhttp://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2013/10/25/apowersoft-streaming-audio-recorder/
http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2013/10/25/apowersoft-streaming-audio-recorder/#commentsFri, 25 Oct 2013 02:18:21 +0000/blogs/mintywhite/archive/2013/10/25/apowersoft-streaming-audio-recorder.aspxContinue reading Apowersoft Streaming Audio Recorder→]]>Windows Guides’ Rating 4 out of 5 Compatible with System PROS: Feature rich, yet simple UI. Easy to use. Great audio quality. CONS: I could benefit from having a main page where you can find all main functions on one plate, so you don’t have to look for it. oh, wait that’s why we […]

]]>http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2013/10/25/apowersoft-streaming-audio-recorder/feed/0Reboot Delete File Ex: Mark files for deletion on next reboot.http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2013/09/03/reboot-delete-file-ex-mark-files-for-deletion-on-next-reboot/
http://blogs.msmvps.com/mintywhite/2013/09/03/reboot-delete-file-ex-mark-files-for-deletion-on-next-reboot/#commentsTue, 03 Sep 2013 00:41:33 +0000/blogs/mintywhite/archive/2013/09/03/reboot-delete-file-ex-mark-files-for-deletion-on-next-reboot.aspxContinue reading Reboot Delete File Ex: Mark files for deletion on next reboot.→]]>Windows Guides’ Rating 5 out of 5 Compatible with System Reboot Delete File Ex is a completely free software designed to simply delete a file on the next reboot. Sometimes you may not be able to delete a file because it is locked or in use by other applications, or because it is a malware […]